Still Using 30 Year Old Scrum: Why CIOs Must Rethink Agile

For more than two decades, CIOs and IT leaders have battled the same stubborn reality: despite massive advances in technology, digital tools, and delivery methods, IT projects continue to underperform. The Standish Group’s CHAOS 2020: Beyond Infinity report found that only 31 per cent of IT projects succeed—delivered on time, on budget, and with all intended features. About half are “challenged,” and nearly one in five fail outright.

This is not a technology problem. It’s an execution problem. While IT strategies are becoming sharper and more aligned with business goals, the ability to deliver those strategies effectively and translate them into measurable value remains elusive.

The Agile Promise And Its Paradox

Scrum has dominated software delivery for 30 years, and for good reason. It was a breakthrough in introducing adaptability, cross-functional collaboration, and faster iteration compared to the rigidity of the Waterfall method. But like any system that becomes institutionalised, its flaws have grown more visible.

From personal experience, several pain points have persisted:

• Sprint planning sessions can devolve into “poker games,” where effort is estimated for tasks that simply roll into the next sprint.
• Story points and burndown charts often fail to translate meaningfully into financial or milestone progress.
• Stand-up updates don’t always guarantee teams are building the right thing, contributing instead to rising technical debt.
• Continuous improvement discussions are delayed to retrospectives rather than addressed in real time—slowing down learning and adaptation.

The 17th State of Agile Report reaffirms Scrum’s dominance. Yet, after 30 years, it’s fair to ask: is this still the best we can do?

The Shift In Thinking: From Projects To Flow

The Standish Group’s latest insights point to a necessary evolution. They recommend that organisations stop treating software delivery as a sequence of finite projects with rigid deadlines and budgets. Instead, development should be viewed as a continuous, adaptive flow of value—constantly refined in line with shifting user and business needs.

Traditional project management tools and methodologies, however sophisticated, often miss the point. Overly complex dashboards, redundant reports, and rigid cadence cycles can slow teams down. In many cases, the process becomes the end in itself rather than the means to value. The irony? We’ve reached a point where Agile teams now need coaches to help them navigate “the Agile way”—something unheard of in most other professional disciplines.

Introducing A New Approach: Acceleration Over Iteration

Recognising this paradox, we set out to design the Vroom Agile Framework™, a next-generation Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and Service Management Framework inspired by the precision and performance of Formula 1 racing.

At its core, this framework aligns with the foundational Agile values—placing individuals and interactions above processes and tools—but reimagines how those values play out in the digital enterprise.

It is supported by a cloud-based implementation tool that gives executives a complete, real-time view of every IT project within the organisation—whether Agile, Hybrid, or Waterfall. This unified visibility ensures that leaders can monitor progress, alignment, and performance across the entire technology portfolio from a single platform.

Beyond visibility, it introduces meaningful performance metrics that link effort to actual business value and outcomes, moving away from the abstraction of story points and velocity charts. Every requirement and delivery stage is fully traceable, with detailed history logs that capture how projects evolve, providing transparency and accountability at every step.

Crucially, the system is built with the user in mind. Its intuitive, easy-to-navigate interface allows IT professionals to adopt it quickly, minimising training needs while maximising productivity and collaboration.

This is not a rejection of Agile. It’s its natural evolution—from sprinting in circles to accelerating with purpose.

Intelligent Delivery For The AI Arena

We’ve entered an era where AI, automation, and digital ecosystems demand more responsive delivery frameworks. CIOs are under pressure to deliver continuous value, not just completed projects. Stakeholders no longer measure success by timelines alone but by how effectively technology initiatives create business outcomes.

Agile taught us to embrace change. Scrum taught us to organise for delivery. Now, this framework allows us to deliver value rapidly and intelligently.

For CIOs weary of extending deadlines and defending missed milestones, perhaps it’s time to pilot a smarter way of working—one built on speed, adaptability, and transparency. The old guard of project management served its purpose. The next frontier belongs to those ready to evolve.

This article was written by Vernon Naidoo, Director, VroomAgile.com